Wolfgang Sawallisch RIP

[Petrushka]

The conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch has died at the age of 89.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/artswatch/Wolfgang-Sawallisch-1923-2013.html

I saw him with the Philadelphia Orchestra at two Proms in 1995.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Very sad news: a superb conductor.

RIP and many thanks, maestro.

[Nick Armstrong]

That is very sad news indeed. His Schumann Symphonies in Dresden have long been at the top of my list of favourite recordings.

[Roehre]

Very, very sad news indeed.
His Dresden Schumann symphonies -the original 1970s boxset with that Caspar David Friedrich painting- were my first Schumanns I got to know, and the yardstick to the present day.
But what impresses me most to this very day are his Schubert choral works - simply superb IMO.
RIP Wolfgang Sawallisch

[EdgeleyRob]

Very sad news.
We have lost so many great musical figures recently.

RIP Wolfgang Sawallisch.

[Barbirollians]

A great conductor of a much underrated Ring cycle too .

His Schumann symphonies remain at the top of my list . An excellent accompanist too both at the piano and on the podium .

[Don Petter]

A sad day. His excellent chamber music recordings as a pianist should also not be forgotten.

[Richard Tarleton]

My top Meistersinger recording, with the Bavarian State Orchestra. The booklet contains a fascinating essay by him on the project, including what Wieland Wagner said to him - "...if only the piece would end with the Quintet! Everyone knows by then how it's going to end...."

Sadly for me, the only time I was due to see him, in Cardiff in 2002, he was ill....

[BBMmk2]

What sad news is this! Another maestro passes away! RIP Wolfgang Sawallisch

[Ferretfancy]

As well as the items already praised,there's also a fine Magic Flute, and perhaps it's worth mentioning his pioneering recordings of Carl Orff. His mono recording of Carmina Burana was very successful, as were the early stereo versions of Die Kluge and Der Mond. I do realise that Orff is not much in favour, but Sawallisch did introduce his work.
As an accompanist on or off the rostrum he was special, particularly in his Mozart with Annie Fischer. The last months have seen so many losses to music.

[Alison]

His early nineties Brahms cycle with the LPO is one of those largely overlooked gems.

[Barbirollians]

His early nineties Brahms cycle with the LPO is one of those largely overlooked gems.

You might say the same of his 1950s VSO set.

[Gordon]

We do seem to be losing a lot of the elder statesmen/women of the music world lately, very regrettable but it also tells us that we are getting on a bit too!!

Sawallisch was a very accomplished musician and made some excellent recordings as has been said. Here is a shot of one of them, Capriccio in early September 1957. The sessions started at Kingsway the Monday morning [2.9.57] after the death of Dennis Brain the previous day and Walter Legge announced that fact before a rather sombre orchestra who had played with Dennis the previous weekend in Edinburgh [of all pieces, they played Tchaikovsky Pathetique under Eugene Ormandy]. Alan Civil moved into the first horn seat to replace him. Dennis' Alexander horn was damaged but repaired and is available to see at the York Gate Collections at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Sawallisch made recordings with the Philharmonia starting in 1954 - Dvorak 8 - and contnued to do so for the next 30+ years. Note Hugh Bean as No 2 in the firsts and rght at the back of the violins [top right] see the one that looks remarkably like Klemperer!! I wonder how many of these people are still alive?

[verismissimo]

... Capriccio in October 1957...

I was going to flag up that wonderful Capriccio. With Schwarzkopf, Waechter, Gedda, Fischer-Dieskau, Hotter, Ludwig and Moffo. What a cast.

Thanks for an outstandingly interesting post, Gordon.

[aeolium]

I was very sorry to hear of Sawallisch's death. I echo the praise for his Schumann Symphonies set and also the Schubert choral music. He was also excellent in opera, e.g. his Zauberflöte with the BRSO and, as has been mentioned, a fine accompanist.

I shall play his great recording of the Schubert E flat Mass D950 later today in his memory, with the drum beats of the Dona Nobis Pacem fading into silence at the end.